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Yankees' Aaron Judge Dealing With Rib Stress Fracture
6 Jun
Summary
- Judge believes he injured his rib diving in an April 26 game.
- He played through the pain, unaware of the stress fracture severity.
- The Yankees expect his return later this year after healing.
Aaron Judge is currently sidelined with a stress fracture in his top right rib, a diagnosis that came after weeks of playing through discomfort. He first felt symptoms around an April 26 game in Houston, believing a dive led to the injury. Judge continued playing, but his performance numbers, including a .805 OPS in May, indicated he was affected.
Manager Aaron Boone noticed the issue worsening by Sacramento, prompting him to address Judge. General Manager Brian Cashman was only alerted to the severity on Monday when a trainer reported Judge's shoulder pain. Initial concerns about a bone bruise were deepened by Dr. Christopher Ahmad, who noted a correlation to a previous rib injury in 2020.
Further consultation with rib specialist Dr. Gregory Pearl in Texas confirmed the stress fracture, alleviating earlier speculation about thoracic outlet syndrome. Judge is scheduled for imaging in four to six weeks, with a return to baseball activities contingent on bone healing. The Yankees remain optimistic about his return this year and are not altering their trade deadline plans.
